New books from 2005

You don't have the latest version of Adobe Flash Player.

Please update your flash player.

Please login or register to make a comment!

Beyond the Journal f Young Children on the Web " March 2006 1 ew books New books from 2005 Schwartz, S.L. 2005. Teaching Young Children Mathematics.

Westport, CT: Praeger. 212 pp. ISBN 0-275-98216-5.

$49.95. Three themes are the focus of this book: the content of early mathematics, the processes by which children learn math during early childhood, and optimal teach- ing strategies for fostering mathematics learning in preschool through second grade classrooms. In the belief that not all early childhood educators are fluent in mathematical content, the author devotes the first half of the text to the big ideas about number, geometry, and measurement in early mathematics education.

Schwartz highlights the interdependence between content and the processes through which children become mathematical thinkers and doers. Examples from preschool and primary classrooms illustrate the ways children develop accuracy and fluency in computation and measurement as they move from intuitive knowing to the con- scious use of mathematical understandings and skills. The second part of the book addresses the role of the teacher.

Schwartz offers strategies to help teachers connect with and advance children 9s mathematical thinking and skills during spontaneous play as well as during teacher-initiated curricular activi- ties. She highlights the importance of math ... more. less.

conversations and suggests ways teachers can relate math content to children 9s actions through such discourse. The chapters cover innovative ways to use measurement tools like calendars and clocks, and they discuss the integration of math in science, social studies, and daily routines. A description of a geography project with four-year-olds shows how the content, process, and teaching strategies can be combined in meaningful ways. Koralek, D., with A.L. Dombro & D.T. Dodge. 2005. Caring for Infants and Toddlers. 2nd ed. Washington, DC: Teaching Strategies. 366 pp. ISBN 1-879537-49-4. $49.95. Koralek, D., with A.L. Dombro & D.T. Dodge. 2005. Skill-Building Journal: Caring for Infants and Toddlers. 2nd ed. Washington, DC: Teaching Strategies. 344 pp. ISBN 1-879537-50-8. $22.95. Dodge, D.T., S. Rudick, & D. Koralek. 2005. Trainer 9s Guide: Caring for Infants and Toddlers. 2nd ed. Washington, DC: Teaching Strategies. 189 pp. ISBN 1-879537-51-6. $29.95. Together these volumes offer content, practical applications, and guidance for trainers providing this training and professional development program for teachers and caregivers of infants and toddlers. The materials can be used by those prepar- ing for a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential, by trainers to improve program quality or lead professional seminars, or by teachers working independently. Using the CDA competency standards as a framework, the 13 modules in Caring for Infants and Toddlers serve as the text that provides the content for the training. Classroom examples and drawings help explain how to engage in the kinds of curriculum activities and interactions between children, teaching staff, and parents that occur in optimal learning environments. Readers will learn about the materials and equipment needed to support each competency area and will gain new ideas for organizing the environment. Examples from adult experiences help caregivers identify with the needs of the children. For instance, to show how the physical environment in a center can affect children 9s feelings, the authors ask readers how they might feel standing between strangers in a hot, crowded subway car. In a section promoting cognitive development, they challenge readers to cthink of people you know who are good learners and thinkers; what are their characteristics? d Brief, well-re- searched explanations of how children develop are woven into each module. While experienced caregivers will find innovative ideas to improve their practice, this text uses language and examples that are readily accessible to beginning teachers. Titles are selected from the many new books received by NAEYC. Educator Gail Perry writes the annotations. The books are available from the publishers listed, your local bookstore, or online retailers. Beyond the Journal " Young Children on the Web " March 2006 2 In the Skill-Building Journal: Caring for Infants and Toddlers , second edition, the authors provide a variety of individualized learning activities that allow teachers to build and enhance their skills. These activities include opportunities to practice observation, planning, implementing, and assessing, while teachers work with infants and toddlers and their families. The Trainer 9s Guide: Caring for Infants and Toddlers, second edition, provides information for staff development specialists and teacher educators who oversee the training program. Included is information on giving feedback to staff along with knowledge assessments and answer sheets, observation forms with checklists, and forms for tracking individual and group progress through the modules. Axtmann, A., & A. Dettwiler. 2005. The Visit: Observation, Reflection, Synthesis for Training and Relationship Building. Baltimore, MD: Brookes. 240 pp. ISBN 1-55766-808-6. $44.95. Developed at the Center for Infants and Parents at Teachers College in New York, The Visit describes a process in which a supervisor and early childhood caregiver work as a team and follow carefully structured protocols to develop a coherent picture of an individual child within his or her family context. The central focus of this process is a meeting 4in a home, early childhood center, or homeless shelter 4between the child, a parent, the practitioner who works most often with the child, and the practitioner 9s supervisor. During the meeting the supervisor interviews the parent about the child 9s history and elicits issues of concern and advice about caring for the child. The practitioner engages the child in a series of developmental tasks. Immediately following the meeting, the supervisor and caregiver review its observa- tions of the child and parent-child interactions, and the information provided by the parent. Using developmental characteristics charts, they measure the child 9s performance against the performance of other children in the same age range. The team writes a letter to the family summarizing their observations and the plans for care agreed on with the parent, and acknowledging the parents 9 critical role. The visit serves as in-service training for early childhood practitioners in obser- vation skills and understanding child development. It highlights the critical nature of parent-child relationships. It is a catalyst for helping parents develop trust in the center and a vehicle for helping supervisors learn firsthand what individual families need and how staff can best work with each family and child. The authors provide step-by-step instructions and all the necessary materials to guide the supervisor through each stage of the meeting, including scripts to help the supervisor prepare the caregiver for the meeting, questions for the reflective parent interview, and forms to guide discussion and record observations during the review session. Prescott-Griffin, M.L. 2005. Reader to Reader: Building Independence through Peer Partnerships. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. 156 pp. ISBN 0-325-00609-1. $17.50. A college instructor in literacy describes a reading strategy in which children of approximately equal skill construct text together. Vignettes showing peer partner- ships in action and the voices and ideas of seven first grade teachers and their children help illustrate successful peer partnerships. The author demonstrates how peer partnerships, unlike other reading strategies, can be laboratories in which beginning readers feel safe to test their emerging ideas about reading, to make mistakes, and to try new strategies as they move toward becoming independent readers. Teachers will learn how to set up peer partnerships and adapt the process to English-language learners and children with special needs, and they will find strategies for helping children become successful collaborators. The book includes practical suggestions for organizing the classroom to support reading partnerships, the role of the teacher, and ideas for creating reading tools such as strategy gloves and browsing boxes. The author addresses the challenges of making peer partnerships work, such as what to do when a partnership isn 9t working and steps to take to ensure that children use their time wisely when working on their own. Miller, K. 2005. Simple Transitions for Infants and Toddlers. Beltsville, MD: Gryphon House. 167 pp. ISBN 0-87659-298-1. $19.95. Life with infants and toddlers is filled with transitions big and small. Transitions constitute a large part of the curriculum as children move from one developmental stage to another, in and out of relationships with peers and care-givers, and from the weekend at home to the center Monday morning. Miller provides general prin- ciples and techniques and practical activities for helping children learn to deal with these situations. She presents ideas for helping toddlers meet the challenges of Beyond the Journal " Young Children on the Web " March 2006 3 developing from dependent babies to independent preschoolers, from nonverbal to verbal communicators, from diaper-bound to toilet-trained children, from solitary explorers to social beings. Miller offers suggestions for addressing children 9s transitions at the center, such as entering child care for the first time, moving from the infant to the toddler room, or stopping a favorite activity because it is story time. She presents teaching strategies to help caregivers cope with children 9s emotional transitions, such as moving back into the group after an altercation, and ideas for planning for the end of the day, when children and staff seem to fall apart and become cranky, so par- ents don 9t see teachers and children at their worst. A chapter on daily transitions with infants includes topics such as responding to individual infant schedules; sharing routines, schedules, and rituals with parents to ensure their comfort; preparing for morning separation; and helping a child master self-feeding. New books from 2006 Dickinson, D.K., & S.B. Neuman, eds. 2006. Handbook of Early Literacy Research. Vol. 2. New York: Guilford. 468 pp. ISBN 1-59385-184-7. $65.00 (hardback only). This volume conveys the increasing breadth and depth of the theoretical ac- counts of early literacy. It offers insight into the changes that occur as young children become more proficient readers and suggests promising new practices. The narrative reviews, which avoid complex research terminology, help readers translate findings into early childhood practice. In part one, literacy is viewed as the organization of complex interacting systems. The role of cognitive, language, and social and emotional domains in the development of literacy ability is high- lighted. Studies on eye movement and new brain imaging techniques reveal the cognitive processes in fluent reading and the distinctive patterns of neural activity that are associated with reading disability. Part two addresses new research on vocabulary development, phonemic aware- ness, and letter knowledge, highlighting the interrelationships between them. In part three, the importance of families and the quality of adult-child relationships are examined. In looking at the emotional and linguistic supports that enhance language and early literacy in the home and classroom, the researchers found that a mother 9s warmth, variety, and complexity of language can override social class obstacles. Cultural and linguistic diversity is explored in part four. Topics include second-language learning, culturally responsive teaching approaches, and an overview of the language system of African American children and the impact on their reading achievement. The next eight chapters discuss literacy programs in diverse preschool settings, including the link between sociodramatic play and literacy and early reading initia- tives such as Good Start, Grow Smart, and a well-baby checkup program in which volunteers model reading strategies in waiting rooms and the pediatrician dis- penses books and advice about reading. The final five chapters cover transitions to primary grades and assessment issues. Hillman, C.B. 2006. Mentoring Early Childhood Educators: A Handbook for Supervisors, Administrators, and Teachers. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. 120 pp. ISBN 0-325-00883-3. $17.50. Close your eyes and listen to the sounds of the classroom. Hillman takes the reader into classrooms and offers insight into working with student teachers, into getting them to think about what to listen and look for in an early childhood class- room. Particularly useful for those just entering the mentoring role, the book offers clear descriptions of the responsibilities of the supervisor and expectations for the student teacher. Many practical tools are offered mentors, such as sample letters to students introducing the expectations of the supervisor and sample responses to students 9 reflective journals. The author addresses how to establish and maintain positive relationships between student teacher, supervisor, and cooperating teacher. Her collaborative supervisory model is unique in that it includes the cooperating teacher in the supervisor 9s written observations, journal responses, and conferences. Supportive advice is offered for addressing challenges like dealing with resistant students or cooperating teachers. Beyond the Journal " Young Children on the Web " March 2006 4 Tyminski, C. 2006. Your Early Childhood Practicum and Student Teaching Experience. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Merrill Prentice Hall. 204 pp. ISBN 0-13-048817-8. $34.00. This book is designed for students as they participate in their early childhood practicum. It begins with suggestions for the first day and continues through the final days of leaving the practicum and constructing résumés and interviewing for jobs. Students learn about professional responsibilities such as ethical guidelines and how to establish positive relationships with the cooperating teacher and college supervisor. Classroom strategies include observing and assessing children, holding class meetings, and relating teaching to young children 9s ways of knowing. The author shows how to make the most of the observations and evaluations inherent in the student teaching process by reflective journaling, receiving criti- cism, developing portfolios, and preparing for the praxis test. Recent students share their experiences, highlighting the reality of the student-teaching experience. Zaslow, M., & I. Martinez-Beck. 2006. Critical Issues in Early Childhood Profes- sional Development. Baltimore: Brookes. 412 pp. ISBN 1-55766-825-6. $34.95. This book reviews the research that links the education, training, and certifica- tion of the early childhood work-force to quality care and education and school readiness. The authors describe key dimensions of professional development programs that strengthen the workforce and identify gaps in the understanding of how professional development contributes to positive child outcomes. Strategies are outlined to improve both the research and practice of professional development in higher education programs, in-service training, and credentialing programs like CDA. The first section focuses on the size, characteristics, and qualifications of the early childhood workforce. Section two reviews how staff are prepared in the areas of literacy, math, and self-regulation. Section three examines some of the hurdles and evidence-based efforts to improve professional development at local, state, and national levels. A standardized classroom observation system is proposed, suggest- ing a movement away from looking at professional development as generic course work, practices, and curricula to addressing the growth of individual teacher practice. Authors trace the evolution of NAEYC 9s professional preparation stan- dards and current efforts. The fourth section explains how cost-benefit analysis can help evaluate what combination of training, consultation, regulation, and wage enhancement policies provide the greatest return in long-term benefits to children. Recent NAEYC acquisitions/copublications The following books are available online from NAEYC at www.naeyc.org/shoppingcart . Calkins, L., A., Hartman, & Z.R. White. 2005. One to One: The Art of Conferring with Young Writers . Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. 232 pp. ISBN 0-325-00788-8. NAEYC #785. $24 (members $24). Teaching children the art of writing is one of the greatest ways to foster their natural creativity. Discover how to use a few simple, even predictable, writing conference frameworks to elicit remarkable improvements in students 9 writing. The communication skills you develop in this process will improve your teaching in all areas and greatly enrich your students 9 learning experience. From Heinemann. Clements, R.L., & S.L. Schnieder. 2006. Movement-Based Learning: Academic Concepts and Physical Activity for Ages Three through Eight. Reston, VA: National Association for Sport and Physical Education. 208 pp. ISBN 0-88314-916-8. NAEYC #784. $34 (members $34). A welcome resource for any physical educator, classroom teacher, or child care provider seeking innovative movement content. This book features noncompetitive challenges that illuminate age- and stage-appropriate academic concepts. Activities are easily adaptable for inclusive settings and self-contained classrooms to meet IEPs and 504 Accommodation Plans. Teachers concerned about cost and time con- straints will have no trouble finding suggestions that require little extra time and few new resources. From the National Association for Sport and Physical Education. Beyond the Journal " Young Children on the Web " March 2006 5 Dragan, P. 2005. A How-To Guide for Teaching English Language Learners in the Primary Classroom . Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. 256 pp. ISBN 0-325-00700-4. NAEYC #789. $28 ($25 members). In this wise and practical book, an experienced teacher shows you how to get non-native speakers started on language learning. She shares many innovative techniques and demonstrates how to build a classroom community that encourages and supports language learners by celebrating diversity, integrating language and expression in all areas of the curriculum, and actively involving families. Though written for teachers in grades K 33, the book is also useful for teachers of younger children. Includes resources and examples of student work. From Heinemann. Greenman, J. 2005. What Happened to MY World? Helping Children Cope with Natural Disaster and Catastrophe. Watertown, MA: Bright Horizons. 103 pp. ISBN 0-9774353-0-2. NAEYC #289. $5 (members $4). In the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita 4perhaps the largest natural disasters in United States history 4millions of children and adults were left to cope with the physical and emotional wreckage. What Happened to MY World? reaches out to adults to help them peer into the minds of children of all ages and understand their confusion, fears, grief, and struggles to understand why the forces of nature can suddenly disrupt or destroy the world as they know it. Use this book to help both those who experience and survive catastrophe firsthand, as well as the children who witness catastrophe from a distance and wonder what it was like or whether someday they will find themselves in similar circumstances. From Bright Horizons. Reynolds, R.E., & J.M. Machado. 2006. Employment Opportunities in Education: How to Secure Your Career. Clifton Park, NY: Thomson Delmar Learning. 218 pp. ISBN 1-4180-0105-8. NAEYC #790. $21 ($21 members). Invaluable for the two- or four-year early childhood education student, this resource covers job opportunities from infant care to college-level early childhood education instruction, explores the growing number of new job titles and new em- ployers in the field, and presents information on where jobs exist and what qualifi- cations are necessary. An accompanying CD-ROM includes sample cover letters, résumés, interview tips, checklists, and forms that aid in advancing an educational career, from structuring a self-assessment of interests and skills to competing for a specific job. From Thomson Delmar Learning. Rice, K.F., & B.M. Groves. 2005. Hope and Healing: A Caregiver 9s Guide to Helping Young Children Affected by Trauma. Washington, DC: Zero to Three. 68 pp. ISBN 0-943657-93-8. NAEYC #783. $19 (members $19). Hope and Healing gives professionals who work directly with young children affected by trauma the information they need to plan and implement successful intervention strategies for children and their families. The book defines trauma and details its effects on children ages birth to five years and provides concrete strate- gies for caregivers to help children and support families. Includes a list of local and national resources to contact for direct help as well as advice on how to manage the stress of working with traumatized children. From Zero to Three Press. Available soon Gronlund, G. 2006. Make Early Learning Standards Come Alive . St. Paul, MN: Redleaf. 164 pp. ISBN 1-929610-82-3 NAEYC #769. Comprehensive Member Benefit . This is the resource teachers need for integrating early learning standards into the curriculum! The author provides practical help, support, and clear explanations of how to make early learning standards come alive in classrooms and programs. Easy-to-read charts show how different states define standards in each major content area and how these standards can be achieved in the classroom. Learn how to plan curriculum with specific learning standards in mind, address standards in ways that are developmentally appropriate and effective, and assess children 9s progress toward the standards. From Redleaf. Beyond the Journal " Young Children on the Web " March 2006 6 Hemmeter, M.L., B.J. Smith, S. Sandall, & L. Askew. 2005. DEC Recommended Practices: Workbook . Missoula, MT: Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children. 76 pp. ISBN 0-9773772-0-2. NAEYC #787. $15 ($15 members). This ready-to-use tool for assessment, evaluation, and planning can help ensure high-quality services for young children with special needs. If you are working to implement DEC 9s recommended practices, this is the tool you need! From Sopris West and the Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children. Sandall, S., M.L. Hemmeter, B.J. Smith, & M.E. McLean. 2004. DEC Recommended Practices: A Comprehensive Guide for Practical Application . Longmont, CO: Sopris West. 307 pp. ISBN 1-59318-423-9. NAEYC #786. $35 ($35 members). This revised edition contains the information found in the original DEC Recom- mended Practices about the most useful programs for children with disabilities and other special needs, plus real-life examples and practical tips for implementation. This comprehensive guide includes strategies for program assessment and im- provement, useful checklists for parents and administrators, and an annotated list of relevant resources. From the Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children. Copyright © 2006 by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. See Permissions and Reprints online at www.journal.naeyc.org/about/permissions.asp

less